Hernia support



March 4, 1930. v BARCLAY 1,748,939

' HERNIA SUPPORT Filed Oct. 15, 1927 ATTORNEY I 5 "HJALMAB vx mnonnv, or lvnw YORK, IN. Y'.-

1131mm surrom ib-ap lication ieagoe' ober 15,1927,.senalfnaeaaaes.

a This invention relates to hernia supports and my improvements are directed to a'device 1 of this character which is highly efficient, I self adjusting, and extremelycomfortable inuse! V H 1 1 In describing thisjnew jhernia support is unnecessary to enter jinto' any 'extensive' 7 discussion of hernia,its, causes,development I and treatment, but suflicient to remember I 10 that the muscles forming the abdominal wall- I are all broad fiat musc-les," one'overlapping 1 andremforcingthe other. At cert'ain places I a between the I'n'uscle"laye1."s, ,therearejnjarrow slitlike openings for the passage of the sper- V 1natic cord,the round ligament, etc. 'As long as the muscles retain their normal strength and theflabdominalinside pressure. remains normal, this anatomical arrangement works w'ell;;but once the; muscles weaken and give way, the abdominal content at once begins to force its way through the opening and. a

I herniakis' established. V 1 II To remedy this condition land counteract itby means of an external support 'or truss, the plain indication is to imitateand re 7 I 'inforce the natural anatomical arrangement. 'f' To do this effectively is, however, no easy F matter. The support must be flat and broad likethe muscles themselves and lay in close opposition not" only to the abdominal wall' butto thecircumference of the lower pelvis V as well. If it fails to do this however slightly the hernia-is apt to escape. At thesame-time I the support mustbe heldin position against 1 the abdominal .wallwith apressure both even land sufliciently firm. This pressure, how i.- ever, may be comparatively light or practically unnotice'ableu v v- V Myimproved support-is made preferably of sheet-celluloid and shaped exactly to'conform to'thecontour ofthe lower abdomen,

its side lines fitting into the groove formed by the lower portion of ,Pouparts ligament,

" its lower edge paralleling the upper and anterior border of the pubic bone but extending a little below its crest and overlapping 1t;

The upper edge of the-support extends across. the abdomen from a point midway between the superior and inferior'spinous processes of the ileum forminga slight upwardcurve.

guinal canals being co To give it a certain amount of thickness,"or

depth, the celluloid "sheetingis bent and formed into] triangular "shaped tapered columns,' placed side by side'and pointing to 1, an imaginary centerbelow, and held vtogether 2 and ln position by wire (or other means) andresting on that part ,ofthe celluloid sheet- The size girthed around the hips, like jthe. belt worn by sailors,'in.a p'ositionpartly vover or right 7 above the great trochan'ter's, The beltcrosses the support, to which it is attached, by its lo vvr edge, at the middle point; of stu part ofthe columns. I v f This support is firmand rigid except trans-r versely. The arrangement of the columns and, their attachment to, one another allow a slight separation of their forward edges, thus l makingpossible by the, action of the belt a slight fiexure of the support transversely,

this flexure being sufficient to cause the support to shape itself closely to the contour of the abdominal positionintendod byfnaturerf The hernia thereby is closed andin'a positiondevoid of I wall'andhold the wall in the intended for c'ontactwith ltheabdominalall strain, allowing themusclesrelievedfrom the he'rn'ial and pain strain to act normally',,

it possible for. the muscles to be used m i and trainedgup' to their normal strength;

This may mean a cure provided the severity] of the condition, the ageo'r individual health V do' not render such a result impossible."

I The part 'of ijthe support' estlng against the abdomen maybe. perforated or'not. The

support, stays' in place a without any groin strapsbut these can of course be used; That" the supportmust have a certain thicknessor depth is necessitated by the. prominence of;

the anterior portionof the ileum, over which theibelt passes; this thickness" or depth also; assistsinregulatingthe pressure, Both in veredfby the support, a

there IS HQIlQCGSS ltY for specifying or measuringl for right or left hernial support; it supports both sides.

or depthof thecolumns' may vary so as'to assistin giving therequiredfpressure ;in eachindividual case, this pressure being 'produced'by a belt, (elastic or not) which is 1 I Other features andadvantages of my inapplication is composedof thinsheet material, such for example as'celluloid which is folded upon tiself to provide a cellular formation, arcuate in contour, adapted to fit over the lower abdomen,said formation having side edges that are inclined to fi-tin thegrooves lying between the abdomen and legs of the user.

2 0, and fold said strip upon itself to provide the In producing this support I cut a circular strip out 'of a sheet of celluloid'orthe like inner, arcuate portion 1 which is intended to lie contactin l a ainst the abdomen. The

folds ofthe strip at the opposite sides of'portion 1 indicated at 2, 2 are such as to provide 'convergin'grounded edges, adapted to fitcon formingly within the crevices between the abdomen and legs of the wearer. The strip I material thus folded provides side Walls 3, 8

whose depth determines the thickness of the pad constituting the support, the strip maflesh. f:

terial being folded back again, inside the walls 8, 3, in the formationof inner walls .4, t.

The opposite end portions of the strip ma terial are, from said inner walls 4, 4, respectively folded to form series of hollow,

tapered columns that are each triangular in cross-section, succeeding columns'having respectively the inner bases 5. and outer bases 6, and being divided by the walls 7. The inner bases 5 all lieagainst the strip portion 1, While the bases 6 are all in an are that is parallel with said inner bases 5 and portion 1.

The hollow columns thus described are tied together by' means of wires 8 or other connectors to thereby fabricate said columns" into a cellular pad, and the free ends 9, 9

of the strip, which are caused to meet atabout the centre of the pad, are folded over sothat said free ends may also be ,engaged'by the tying means referred to.

The inner portion 1 of the pad extends,

condition. 7

support as at 11, and may pass through guides 12 provided at the sides of said support.

By reason of the. thicknes sof the sup port, and the'pressure of the belt being applied toits outer surface, thereby said support is caused to bear against the lower abdomen, over the aft'ectedregion, with a degree of pressureservingto ameliorate the hernial The linkage or tying together of the hollow columns accords a degree of stiffness to the pad which enables it to constitute an efiicient .sup.port.wh1lst also creatlng an articulation that permits sufiicient fiexure to accommodate the pad tothe body movements.

Variationswithin the spirit and scope of the foregoing disclosure f- I claim:,

my invention" are equally comprehended. in.

1. A hernia support composed'of thin, fle'X- ible sheet material folded into a series of hollowltapering columns, triangular in cross section and connected in articulation, sheet inner surfacing for said columnsfand means for holding said support against the lower abdomen;

'2. 'Asupp'orting pad composed of sheet celluloid formed into vertically disposed folds and a surface strip at one side of the folds, in pad formation. v V

3. A supporting pad composed of sheet celluloid formed into vertically disposed folds and a surface strip at one side of the folds, 1n pad formatlon, said pad having curved upper and lower edges, downwardlyconverging side edges and being ,con'cavo convex in transverse contour. 1

New York, Uctober 10th, 1927/ above and below the hollow columns and is curved outwardly at both its upper and lower 3 edges, to thereby present curved, smooth surfaces for contact with the abdomen and prevent the discomfort that would arise if sharp edges of said portion were presented to the The support is localized in its effective position upon the lower abdomen by means of a belt 10 that extends transversely across the support, atits outer surface,.and is adapted to encircle and fasten about the waist of the wearer. Said belt may be attached to the HJALMAR vJBARoLAYQ 

